Years ago, when I joined AirBnB, I considered them to be a business partner.
I never imagined - because of their size - that they would start to run MY business.
My experience of them over the years - is that of a doting parent hovering over their child (guest), and wagging their finger (at the host) saying “my little Johnny would never do that!”
Consider my most recent quandry - a guest of questionable character rents our luxury house (6000sq ft, 8 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 20ft ceilings, hard-wood floors, massive granite kitchen with 6-element/dual oven gas stove, spice kitchen, Games Room with bar and pool-table, media room with massive flat-screen tv and kick-out couches, hottub, all on 13 acres. I call and ask him on his arrival - “is everything to your liking?” He responds “no substantive issues so far”.
He then nitpicks every scuffmark and detail of the house in a petty review on AirBnB.
I write a very clear and fair response to his review - but make the mistake of including his last name in the response. AirBnB pulls my response, freezes my account, and does an investigation of me.
When all done, they say that I can post my response (with the guests last name removed) - but sorry - I have exceeded the 30-day window of writing a Response so I can no longer write one (even though they froze my account for those 30 days).
When I do business with them, I feel like I am trading my standards for money.
I have really been exploring VRBO.
Anyone have experience with them?
Can you explain this post more thoroughly? You’ve breached Airbnb’s terms of service, they did what they clearly say it’s going to be their response for such a breach, but you frame this as a failing of their business model?
They can only run your business if you let them.
As an experienced host you should have known that to use language in a review that can identify a guest is against the ToS, the exact same as if a guest provided information that could identify a host, or the listing.
There are other platforms out there, with a whole house listing you do not need to be tied to Airbnb.
You ended up with a poor review, it happens. If the rest of your reviews are good then the vast majority of potential guests will see it as an outlier. Have your rant, then move on, it’s not worth the emotional energy.
JF
In another thread the OP said:
I have been with VRBO a few years now, and am MUCH happier with their support.
Dre
So I’m suspecting that the purpose of this rant , from someone who only joined the forum last month, is more of rant than a genuine question.
That’s truly awful! Have you explored Booking.com. It might be a good idea to create your own website for your luxury rental.
Hey Jaquo
In my clumsy manner, I did introduce the topic of VRBO vs AirBnB.
If you would like to state - twice - that I am having a rant while I - a small business - have no control over what guests write about me (and there are some truly unpleasant people out there) and no support from AirBnB to follow their own rules (Re a 30-day response time to bad reviews, in which the locked my account for 30 days and then said “sorry -too late”), then I guess that I am.
Such is the sense of being out of control and concerned about future income.
My only question is - if you are not sympathetic or you can’t relate to that - who do you work for?
I have no problem with their business model - I support it.
But why is it one-way?
Consider that: if you freeze my account to do an investigation of me, then when the freeze is lifted, I should have the same 30 day period to respond.
That is what is called “fair”.
Not to turn around and say “Sorry, you cannot write a response because the 30 days have expired - even though we would not let you write a response in those 30 days”.
That’s an easy question to answer, she works for @jaquo, in the same fashion we work for ourselves, not Airbnb.
JF
As @JohnF says, for myself of course.
Why did you rent your house to a ‘questionable character’? And why did you consider Airbnb to be your business partner? Were you expecting your ‘partner’ to sort things out for you?
These seem to be the most important issues here.
Lol. Interesting.
A couple of years ago, I bought 4 new tires (for my van) from a very well-known tire manufacturer.
I have been driving for over 40 years: they were the worst tires I ever had: slipped easily, wore out treads very quickly, two flats in a year and a half.
I rated the product on their website, only to be shocked at all the 5-star ratings they had for the same product.
Now - those tires were all deficient. It was obvious that the company had people writing positive reviews about them.
Yes, you can disagree with me on anything, but if this is truly a site for only AirBnB hosts, then we as hosts share a lot of things in common.
Stress, anxiety for income, overcoming issues - these things we know, and can relate to one-another about.
But belittling 
or demeaning (“rant”) is definitely not part of the package.
I’m not sympathetic. The minute we list on someone else’s platform, we are subject to their rules & occasional whims. It is up to us to protect our business interests by listing on multiple platforms or creating our own.
I’m personally at risk. I haven’t done a very good job diversifying but that is the risk I am knowingly taking…as did you.
@Dre Was this guest’s “questionable character” in any way hinted at in his exchanges with you when booking or in subsequent communications before arrival, or does that assessment only relate to his behavior during and after the stay?
Characterizing a post as a rant isn’t an attack on you nor does it indicate a lack of sympathy- many hosts come to the forum to rant about something, as it’s a safe place to do so. Just because other hosts may not agree with the poster’s take on a situation doesn’t mean we discourage ranting.
Of course it’s not.
If you’re not happy, then why don’t you apply for a refund…
JF
Why? 30 days because you included his last name? I don’t think anyone here is going to believe that. It’s probably an allegation of undisclosed cameras, some sort of inappropriate personal behavior or allegations of racism.
Furthermore since you act like you don’t know anything about VRBO despite previously posting that you recommend them after having been with them several years, calls to question your credibility.
After hosting several years you should be well aware of all of Airbnb’s policies. You need to be honest, on your listing and here on this forum. Otherwise you will find that many responses aren’t sympathetic. We’ve read it all before.
WOW!!
Ok. Thanks
That clarifies everything.
The cameras in question were set only at the front door and back door, and were fake
I did not include them in my information as it was a long story.
But only AirBnB knew about those details.
Thanks. I know exactly who you are and who you work for, KKC Moderator.
My last post
Good riddance. Nice touch ending with what sounds like some Mafia threat.
If you have “fake” cameras and don’t disclose them, it’s hardly surprising a guest would have complained and you would have been investigated. How does the guest know if they are fake or not?
I have and I will probably rant again
This is what gets you in trouble, you think you know things but you don’t. Stay and learn and improve or keep doing what you are doing that is obviously working so well.
So you think it’s okay to lie because you think you won’t get caught.
So arrogant, these hosts who can’t conceive of any reason why other hosts might disagree with them, or point out that they have only themselves to blame if they violated policy, except that they must be working for Airbnb.
There was one of those on the CC once- posted for the very first time, then when several experienced Airbnb hosts pointed out that she was wrong about what she was saying, accused them all of being “shills for Airbnb”.
What was really funny is that all those hosts were ones who are quite vocal on the forum in their criticism of Airbnb policies and customer service, but of course the newbie had no knowledge of that. She just let fly with baseless allegations.